Goji berries have been used for centuries for their high levels of antioxidants. An antioxidant is somewhat of a broad term, because there are several types of antioxidants that exist in nature and provide varying benefits. A general benefit is that they help protect your body’s cells from damage, which in turn helps you live a healthier and longer life.

What is a Goji Berry?

Goji berries, also called wolfberries, have been grown in the Himalayan valley for hundreds of years. Traditional Chinese folk medicine uses them to cure a variety of ailments. Goji berries have also long been used in various Asian dishes as an ingredient or a garnish. Goji berry bushes grow to be one to three meters high . Because the berries are very delicate when on the plant, they cannot be picked by hand. Instead they are gently shaken from the vine. Frequently they are set out in the sun to dry, whereupon they become slightly chewy. Besides eating the berries, you can also drink the goji berry juice. It is especially popular in the regions where the berries are grown, and can be combined with tea to make a tonic.

How can Goji Berries and other anti-oxidants help protect your skin?

Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences produced a study recently to which hairless mice consumed Goji berry juice and then were exposed to UV radiation. The results showed that the mice were protected against Solar Simulated UV-induced immunosuppression (Sun Damage). Due to the use of the Goji berry’s antioxidant properties the mice exhibited photoimmune protection from sun damage(1).

We’ve all heard that exercise is good for you. Did you know that it’s as true for older people as it is for any age group? You’re never too old to get moving, get stronger and improve your health.

Fitting exercise and physical activity into your day can enhance your life in so many ways. Regular physical activity can improve your balance and boost or maintain your strength and fitness. It may also improve your mood and help you manage or lessen the impact of conditions like diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis and depression.

Despite these proven benefits, exercise and physical activity rates among older people are surprisingly low. Only about 30% of people ages 45 to 64 say they engage in regular leisure-time physical activity. This falls to 25% of those between the ages of 65 and 74 and 11% of people age 85 and older.

Experts recommend 4 types of exercise for older adults: endurance, balance, strength and flexibility. Brisk walking, dancing and other endurance exercises improve the health of your heart, lungs and circulatory system. These exercises can make it easier for you to mow the lawn, climb stairs and do other daily activities. Strength exercises include lifting weights or using resistance bands. They can increase muscle strength to help with activities such as carrying groceries or lifting grandchildren. Balance exercises can help prevent falls—a major health risk for older adults. Stretching, or flexibility exercises, can give you more freedom of movement for bending to tie your shoes or looking over your shoulder as you back out of the driveway.

“Even if you haven’t been active previously, it’s important to get started and stay active,” says Dr. Richard J. Hodes, director of NIH’s National Institute on Aging. “We know that people want to live independently for as long as they possibly can. By exercising regularly and including more physical activity in their daily routine, older people can preserve their physical function, which is key to doing the everyday things they want to do.”

To help you get started and keep moving, NIH brought together some of the nation’s leading experts on aging, exercise and motivation. They developed a guide to exercise for older adults. The guide serves as the basis for a new national exercise and physical activity campaign for people ages 50 and older. It’s called Go4Life.

“Older adults can exercise safely, even those who have physical limitations,” Hodes says. “Go4Life is based on studies showing the benefits of exercise and physical activity for older people, including those with chronic health conditions.”

And my favorite… 60% of health-care workers do not clean their hands properly.

FYI: MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus) is a type (strain) of staph bacteria that does not respond to some antibiotics that are commonly used to treat staph infections. The resistance occurred due to over utilization of anti-biotics and bacterial adaptation. Popular Science failed to mention where the statistics originated so I can’t provide their source.

The Take Home Message: We need to be PRO-active about our health. Exercise. Eat whole foods (minimally processed). Hydrate with water. And GET ADJUSTED! The health of your nervous system (spine) is directly linked to the way you function, heal, and adapt. And please don’t forget to wash your hands…

Cervicogenic headache is a relatively common cause of chronic headache that is often misdiagnosed or unrecognized.

Cervicogenic headache is a syndrome characterized by chronic hemicranial pain that is referred to the head from either bony structures or soft tissues of the neck.

The trigeminocervical nucleus is a region of the upper cervical spinal cord where sensory nerve fibers in the descending tract of the trigeminal nerve (trigeminal nucleus caudalis) are believed to interact with sensory fibers from the upper cervical roots.

This functional convergence of upper cervical and trigeminal sensory pathways allow the bi-directional referral of painful sensations between the neck and trigeminal sensory receptive fields of the face and head.

A functional convergence of sensorimotor fibers in the spinal accessory nerve (CN XI) and upper cervical nerve roots ultimately converge with the descending tract of the trigeminal nerve and might also be responsible for the referral of cervical pain to the head

Prevalence

General population is estimated to be between 0.4% and 2.5%

In pain management clinics, the prevalence is as high as 20% of patients with chronic headache

Mean age of patients is 42.9 years

Four times more prevalent in women

Pathophysiology

First three cervical spinal nerves and their rami are the primary peripheral nerve structures that can refer pain to the head

Suboccipital nerve (dorsal ramus C1)

C2 spinal nerve and its dorsal root ganglion

Third occipital branch of the third cervical nerve (dorsal ramus C3)

Diagnostic Criteria from North American Cervicogenic Headache Society

Key signs/symptoms

Precipitation of head pain

Due to neck movement and/or sustained awkward head positioning

Due to external pressure over upper cervical or occipital region on symptomatic side

Below are details taken directly from Consumer Reports, but the basics are this:

80% of the population suffers from Back pain (so yes there is a lucky 20% who don’t), and out of those who suffer, 88% claim it is re-occurring

Chiropractic is rated the best choice in care options by consumers with back pain

Massage and Exercise Rehab is also rated very effective

Medications and Drugs were only 22% effective!

Dr. LeGault offers two of the top choices for the most effective care in Sewickley and the surrounding area:

Chiropractic

Exercise rehabilitation and counseling

Call today and end the suffering. Discover YOUR 100%.

412-259-3828

“About 80 percent of the adults in the U.S. have been bothered by back pain at some point. The Consumer Reports Health Ratings Center recently surveyed more than 14,000 subscribers who experienced lower-back pain in the past year but never had back surgery. More than half said the pain severely limited their daily routine for a week or longer, and 88 percent said it recurred throughout the year.

Lower-back pain disrupts many aspects of life. In our survey, 46 percent said that it interfered with their sleep, 31 percent reported that it thwarted their efforts to maintain a healthy weight, and 24 percent said that it hampered their sex life.

Where to go for treatment?

A surprising number of the lower-back-pain sufferers we surveyed said they were disappointed with what their primary-care doctor could do to help. Although many of our respondents who saw a primary-care doctor left dissatisfied, primary-care doctors can write prescriptions and give referrals for hands-on treatments that might be covered by health insurance. When back pain goes on and on, many people go to see a primary-care doctor. While this visit may help rule out any serious underlying disease, a prescription based solution affects long-term quality of life.

Who helped the most?

The percentage of people highly (completely or very) satisfied with their back-pain treatments and advice varied by practitioner visited.

Professional —————– Highly satisfied

Chiropractor 59%

Physical therapist 55%

Acupuncturist 53%

Physician, specialist 44%

Physician, primary-care doctor 34%

Source: Consumer Reports Health Ratings Center

Patients with lower-back pain are faced with a confusing list of options. Our survey respondents tried an average of five or six different treatments over the course of just a year. We asked them to rate a comprehensive list of remedies (available to subscribers) and had enough data to rate 23 treatments. We analyzed the medical evidence for each and came up with recommendations and cautions. Here are some highlights from our survey findings:

Spinal injections (available to subscribers) were rated just below chiropractic treatments by those who took our survey. Fifty-one percent of the respondents found them to be very helpful, although the techniques their doctors used varied. Prescription medications (available to subscribers), which one-third of our respondents said they took, were rated as beneficial by 45 percent of them. Almost 70 percent said they took an over-the-counter medication, but only 22 percent said the drugs were very helpful. Fifty-eight percent told us they wished they had done more exercising to strengthen their backs.Although lower-back pain is the fifth most common reason people go to a doctor, 35 percent of the people in our survey said they had never consulted a professional. Most of them had severely limiting pain for less than a week. Many of those with more prolonged pain who didn’t see a health-care professional said,”… it was because of cost concerns or because they did not think professional care could help. “